The first photographs I took was in my high school class. I then moved to Hawaii and my camera was by my side. I loved taking pictures in Hawaii. Some of the shots were lost due to the airport security screening. I had thrown away my yearbooks. Not long after I went into a state of unconsciousness for a short while.

The world was so beautiful to me after I regain consciousness. The leaves on the tree, the teeniest of bugs, the vast mountains were all gloriously beautiful. The simplest things in life brought me great joy. Then I began to wish that I still had my yearbooks. They held information and pictures of my personal history.

I began to have a deep appreciation for pictures. I did what I could to preserve family phots of generations from the past. It was important to me to document it so not just one family member had them, but all family members could have access to them.

I learned that one of the first items people take when fleeing from the home during war, fire, natural disaster is family photos and family documents. I also learned that when relationships go sour, couples split, friends have disagreements, one of the first items to be tossed or destroyed are the photographs. Years later come the regrets. The regret of not having the documentation of the good memories that were had.

I went to college later in life and earned a multi-media and photography degree. One of my main purposes was to learn ways to preserve memories of the past through pictures, video, voice recordings for future generations. I loved studying advertising. It is intriguing to see how images and words change culture. It is a reflection of the past. We can learn a lot from the past. It is why I chose to study multi -media and photography. I have learned from the best with the resources I have at hand.

I would like you to allow me to use my lens to record your image. It is said, “A picture is the image of the soul.” You may not think you picture is worth taking. Future generations will think otherwise. Allow them to reflect on who they are. Where they came from. Preserve your image now.